The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-07-06

(Anniston, Ala, Hot Blnst)
AS the day approaches that mark" the
yearly record of Lincoln's death, l find
myself dwelling upon it with more than
usual sadness, because | happen to be
amid tho surroundings that framed III
the startling report when it reached me.
1t is strange that this free government
OF ours, the crime, which of all others is
the outgrowth of despotism, should find
development. Do extremes meet III this
way, or may We take this strange ap-
pcarance Of assassination rs n symptom
of deep seated disease that escapes or
dinary seeing? Arc we, after all, liftsd
above the ills Of tyranny in our form of
government, or have VIC only shifted the
evils of oppression by one, or II fow, to
that of the many? Is not the dcspotisrn
OF n majority as mtolcrabo as that of
ono man or of II class? Our government
has developed into one of parties, and,
while our constitution was framed to
protect the minority, tho unwritton con
stitution of experience running through
century, really proclaims the fact that
minority has no rights which the PARTY
in power is bound to respect
1t is a little singular, however, that
our two instances of assassination, which
startled the civilized world, were outside
tho ordinary run of politics Booth
struck for the South tllou in armed re-
volt, and Gliitoau killed the President
his party had elected. But these draw
no line and only illustrate tho fact that
heated craftsmanship, uttered III words, is
sure to find active expression from the
insane. Booths bullet had back OC it
Jeff DHvis's uttcrauCcs, while Guit,au's
pistol, fired ut Washington, was loaded
at Utica.
OF course Jel' Davis. nor Roscoe
Conkhng, ever dreamed of such iItonts,
and were undoubtedly shocked and
puincd at the results. The TACT remains,
however, and should be lesson to the
leaders to teach them to be more guard
ed in their uttcranccS. The wild OK
aggerations NJ to the vital Importance of
each political campaign which we lear
from the stump and read in the press,
are dangerous, for while the masses sakc
them at their true value cranks are
stirred into dovilish activity.
We must remember too, that for two
thousand years, poets, orators and pa
triots have been singing the rrniscs of
the assassins-of all popular saints
Brutus and Charlotte CordGy have been
and are the most gloriiicd, The truth is
that neither was animated by any lofty
impulse or patriotic motive, the fact be-
ing that one was low sort of woman
and the other mean man. Booth and
Guiteau were quite ns good as tic classic
pair. Next TO setting up sham as a
popular idol, the greatest difficulty is TO
pull down again aud escape tho consc-
4uences of our own folly. Good may
come out of violence done by m&-scs
when they rise half starved against op-
preston, but there is no good i'll assaSsi-
nation. There is difference between
murder and war.
These tho lights, however, are not ger
name to what / sat down to write.
only seek to record some facts connected
with tho awful murder of tho great pud
good President.
When the news Of President Lincoln S
assassination startled tho people / was at
my home, on the Mac-o.chce, Ohio.
While walking along the pike near to-
ward the village, some two miles dis
taat, going for my daily mall / met Il
-
me. American farmers have the saddest
faces of all humanity, but this wore a
gloom of unusual depth. Stopping
when near me, he asked if | had heard
the news, and getting Il response in the
negative, he continued:
"They do say at Liberty that Lincoln
is dead"
"Dead?" / repeated.
"Yes; shot dead by play-Cctor OF
circus chap, or some sort of fellow OF
that kind"
i hurried on. l was struck by the
silence of the town. Life in tho fouI
years of bloody disasters or our part,
which were quite US bloody in our year
of victory as they were III our defeats,
had been terribly cheapened in public
estimation. The reports Of thousands
left dead upon the field, or dying in
hospitals, were received with noisy com.
ment, it is true, but yet with certain
indifference. Here, however was q
death that commanded grave 5tention,
and seemed to change the day itself from
ore OF noisy life to u Sabbath-like still
ness. The shops were open but desert
ed, and around the corners the people
were collected gazing ut each other in
silence. Towards noon tho country pco
Pile began to gather in. They came
directly from home in their ordinary
work clothes, and az returned soldiers
stimulated by liquor, grew noisy and the
threatening feeling spread, and during
the day and night, / expected to hear o.
certain obnoxious Democrats, known al
Copperheads, being mobbed and NAL
treated But we escaped all violence
and in twenty-four hours the excitemon
of that sort subsidized.
Had political organizations been more
evenly divided at that time the conse
auences would have been deplorable
But the Republican party meant thcr
tho AmerieGD people at the North, ant
popular fury WGa expended in denuncia
tion OF JEFF Davis end the rebels rs they
were called. 1t was generally believed
that the RSsassins were agents OF thu
Confederates, who, failing III the field
had resorted to murder TO ayengo thci
lost cause.
A yoor aftarUardq I yiktnI "A nieon